How to Re-Grip Your Croquet Mallet

The instructions below will help guide you through the process of putting a cushion grip on your croquet mallet. Although our mallets (shown in this guide) are made with a recessed section for the grip, you can install a cushion grip with or without this feature.

Do you need a new cushion grip?
See the variety of colors available at the Cushion Grip Kit page.

  1. Begin by laying down the length of double-sided tape on the mallet handle, butting it against the recess shoulder. Press the sticky side of the tape down along the shaft, where the cushion grip will be installed.
  2. Cut the tape to length with a pair of scissors, ensuring that, when pressed down onto the shaft, the tape butts up to the recess shoulder. Continue by pressing the double-sided tape onto the shaft firmly. When finished, the double-sided tape should cover almost all of the cushion grip area. See the image below.
  3. At this point, the double-sided tape is ready to have the protective layer peeled off. Completely remove the protective layer. The mallet shaft is now ready to accept the cushion grip.
  4. Cut one end of the grip at an angle so the length of the cut edge is the equal to the shaft circumference. For our shafts, about a 20 degree angle yields a cut edge equal to most full size shaft circumferences. Note: With the tape laying topside (convex) up and bottom end of the tape to the right, this angle should taper off along the top edge.
  5. Starting at the bottom of the gripped section, begin wrapping the tape around the shaft, ensuring there is about a 1/8" - 3/16" overlap between each succeeding row. Keep some tension on the tape as it is wrapped onto the shaft. One method of accomplishing this is to hold the shaft's bottom end under your right arm and turning the shaft with your right hand while guiding the tape onto the shaft with your left hand. The roll of grip tape is allowed to hang loose. Left-handed people may find it easier to switch hands in the above description.
  6. When you get to the top of where you want to end the gripped section, wrap the grip tape around the shaft once more. This will allow you to cut the top of the tape horizontal with a sharp knife (we use a disposable-blade knife).
  7. To finish the top and bottom of the grip, wrap with color coordinated vinyl tape twice around the shaft. When wrapping this tape, do not apply so much tension so as to distort the width of the tape. Once applied, press the tape firmly to the shaft with your thumb. This ensures the grip will not unravel.
  8. Now it's time to PLAY CROQUET!